Konoha Chronicles: Choose Your Own Destiny
by FatesIntertwined
Summary: (BEING REWRITTEN)


_**Alright! So I decided to try my hand at an OC centric Naruto story!I guess for the first few chapters, I was kind of hoping to give some insight on who these characters are and sort of tell how they'll get to the point in the story where the actual plot happens XD. Anyway, this is maybe my... second fanfiction I've ever written? I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

Ashido met Kiyomi when they were six.

It was New Years in Konohagakure, and the village was celebrating. Ashido didn't really get why. It was just another day right? Regardless, he enjoyed running through the streets and parks, looking at all the bright colors and vendors selling various foods. His favorite vendor had to be the taiyaki one. The little boy absolutely adored the sweet pastry and azuki bean filling.

Coming from a family of nine, they were always a little short on money but his mom and dad made do. When they had a little extra to go around, they'd always treat the kids to taiyaki.

But on New Years, Toshiro and Hanako Fukuhara each gave their children a little packet of money, and sent them off in the morning of New Year's Day to let them enjoy themselves. Ashido would head straight for the taiyaki vendor. It was just a few cents for one of the fish shaped pastries, and the man running the vendor handed them out wrapped in little white napkins.

Ashido liked to eat it when it was still warm. He felt that it was the best way to eat it. Though sometimes he had to wait for the taiyaki to cool off a bit before consuming it, since it was fresh off the skillet.

That New Years was no different than the previous year. He left his crowded little home early in the morning, and ran straight to the vendor, eagerly paying for his treat. The vendor laughed and ruffled the little boy's light brown hair. He sat down in the grass near the vendor as he waited for it to cool off in the cold January air. He had to keep switching the hand he was holding it in to prevent himself from getting burned.

As he waited, he watched the people who were walking around. Some were looking at the vendors, while others seemed to be out on a simple morning stroll. There was a young couple walking hand in hand. Ashido watched them for a bit but wrinkled his nose and looked away when the male leaned in to kiss his partner. Ew. He continued to gaze around, watching absentmindedly as a family of four wandered past, all dressed in matching kimonos. It was cute, in an odd way. Ashido wasn't sure if he would ever want him and his six siblings to dress in matching clothes, much less his parents. It was bad enough that they embarrassed him in public already, and that was without having to wear matching clothes.

By now, his taiyaki had cooled down enough for him to eat. He was about to take a bite, but quickly grew distracted as he watched a little girl holding a man's hand walk by. The man wore a simple grey kimono with a haori over it for extra warmth, and his rather long hair was tied back with a piece of twine. He stopped walking just for a moment to shake a loose pebble out of his sandals. But it was really the little girl who caught his attention. She looked about his age, with shoulder length black hair and grey eyes. She, unlike her male companion, wore a bright colored kimono with an equally colorful obi sash. He wondered if she was a princess. Only princesses dressed like that right? He wouldn't know. He's never met a princess before.

The two stopped at a vendor, and the man started looking through the various New Year's themed goods. The girl stood by his side, looking around. Her eyes met Ashido's, and she tilted her head, smiling a little.

If she was a princess, why was she smiling at him? Wouldn't that be forbidden? His curiosity got the better of him. He stood, holding his untouched treat in his hand, before shuffling over to where the two were standing. He was just a few feet away from the girl now. The man seemed wrapped up in what he was doing, so he decided to talk her.

"Are you a princess?" He blurted out the question before thinking. It was out of genuine curiosity, but he remembered his mother always saying manners mattered. He didn't even say hi, or introduce himself. He bit his tongue and waited for her reply anyway. Might as well.

The little girl's eyes widened slightly at his question. She shook her head, tilting her head in question. "No? I'm not? Why do you ask?" Her voice was soft and quiet. It kind of reminded him off the music box his mother had in his parents' room. Ashido laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh- I thought- well, you're wearing this really nice kimono, so I thought you were a princess. I thought only princess wore pretty clothes like that." Whoops.

The little girl seemed a little surprised to hear his reasoning, but she simply smiled and said, "It is a pretty kimono isn't it? My brother bought it for me for my birthday." She smoothed down the folds of the kimono with her hands before looking up at him. "But it would be cool of I was a princess." She added thoughtfully. He nodded. "It would, wouldn't it?" He grinned at her. His two front teeth were missing.

"I'm Ashido by the way." The little boy stuck a hand out, just like his mother showed him. She reached out and clasped his hand in hers. "I'm Kiyomi." She replied with a smile. He smiled back.

He two stood in silence before Kiyomi spoke up again. "Why are you holding a fish?"

He forgot he was holding the taiyaki. Looking down, he held up the little fish shaped pastry. "It's not an actual fish. It's… a cake thing with azuki beans in it." He didn't know how else to describe it. Kiyomi didn't look convinced. That wasn't good. He had to get her to understand the amazing wonders of taiyaki. He took the taiyaki in both hands and tore it in half, offering one of them. "Here. Try it! It's good, I promise."

She took the half that was offered to her, but didn't eat it, and was instead looking at it skeptically. "It doesn't taste like fish? I… don't like fish."

He shook his head, then stuffed a bit into his mouth. It was still slightly warm in the center. "It's good, see?" He told her through a mouthful of it. She watched him chew for a bit before hesitantly taking a small bite. He leaned forward anxiously for her reaction.

She didn't say anything, but took another bite, a smile growing on her face. Success. He popped the rest of his in his mouth, then brushed crumbs off on his pants. She finished her own too. When she was done, he bounced in place. "Want some more?" He couldn't contain his excitement. She nodded slightly. "If you have any?" She didn't want to seem rude.

"Wait here!" The little boy took off running. He made a beeline for the taiyaki vendor. Moments later he returned to where Kiyomi was standing, and held out a freshly cooked pastry. It was still steaming.

They split that one too.

* * *

They met Hideki when they were nine.

It's been almost been four years since Ashido met Kiyomi. Though it's been a while since they met, they both remembered that New Year's day, when Ashido had shared his taiyaki with her. To say the least, it was one of her favorite snacks now. They found that they both attended the Academy. In the mornings before school started, they'd both leave their houses early and travel to the lookout above the village to share their breakfast there. That's where they met Hideki.

It was late spring, and the two had just finished climbing up to their favorite spot, only to see that someone was already there. They found Hideki sitting cross-legged in front of the railing of the lookout. Both Ashido and Kiyomi recognized him from school.

"Hey! You can't be here!" He stormed over to the boy, cheeks puffed out in anger, hands on his hips. He may have looked intimidating if he was maybe ten years older. The other boy simply turned to face him, looking as innocent as can be. "But… I have just as much right to be here as you do." He replied, tilting his head. His metal rimmed glasses slid down his nose and he pushed them up with his fingers.

Ashido opened his mouth to yell at him some more, but a gentle hand on his shoulder made him stutter and look away. It was Kiyomi. He crossed his arms, refusing to meet her gaze as he stubbornly stood his ground.

Shaking her head slightly, she knelt next to the boy on the ground, hands resting on her knees. "Hey… my friend and I usually sit here for breakfast…. And you're right- you have just as much right to sit here as we do. May we share the area?" Always the peacemaker. Age ten and she was already talking her way through things like a diplomat. How many times has she gotten Ashido out of fights with other kids simply by talking? Too many times.

The boy thought for a moment before shrugging. "I guess. Just keep that idiot away from me." He stated coolly, glancing in Ashido's direction. Kiyomi rose an eyebrow, not entirely how to react to him insulting her friend, but Ashido seemed ready to start throwing punches. "YOU WANNA SAY THAT TO MY FACE FOUR EYES?!"

The boy merely laughed, standing. He brushed past Kiyomi, who was already starting to regret some of her life choices. "Hey um- maybe we shouldn't-" She started to tell them that fighting before school wasn't a good idea, but they apparently had other choices.

"Very well. You're an idiot." The boy smirked in answer to Ashido.

Ashido ended up going to school with a black eye, and Hideki with a bloody nose.

* * *

Kiyomi asked herself the same question every day when she woke up.

Why was she friends with such violent people?

After the skirmish with Ashido and the boy from school at the lookout, they seemed to be running into each other a lot. Since that morning, Ashido and Hideki (they later found out his name) had gotten into fourteen different fights, two of which happened on school campus. But despite her dislike for violence, she ended up befriending Hideki, and though Ashido wasn't very pleased about it at first, he put up with it for the sake of his friend, and did eventually grow to see Hideki as a friend as well, even if they had their differences.

They walked home from school every day, Ashido and Hideki on either side of Kiyomi, who walked in between the two. Sometimes, she thought it was the only thing keeping the two from going at each others throats.

Ashido let out a big sigh, throwing his arms back behind his head, where he locked his fingers together. "Ahh! I hate that stupid school!" Hideki frowned, pushing his glassed up atop the bridge of his nose. "It's not stupid." He replied. "It's highly educational and it the basis for a child's future."

Kiyomi furrowed her eyebrows. "Guys, don't start a fight in the middle of the street…" She warned. The last thing she wanted to do was drag them back to their families with black eyes and bruises. The thought of having a family made Kiyomi feel a little lonely. She had her brother, but she didn't have a mother and father like Ashido and Hideki did.

Ashido waved a hand in dismissal. "We won't. Don't worry about it Kiyo." He frowned a little. "I was just thinking… I mean- we're learning to be ninja right? I mean… what if we don't wanna be ninjas when we grow up?" Kiyomi frowned slightly at that thought. "Well…. I guess…. I mean there are people who graduate from the Academy but they don't pursue the ninja path, if that's what you mean. My brother graduated from the Academy, but he never bothered to continue training. " She adjusted the straps of her bag on her shoulders before continuing on. "I suppose it really just depends on what you want for your future."

Hideki nodded. "Kiyomi is right. It really depends on what you want for yourself. Why do you ask? Are you not wanting to become a ninja?" He adjusted his glassed again, then turned to face Ashido.

Ashido merely shrugged. "I don't know. It was just a thought. No one in my family are ninjas." He looked up at the sky, squinting against the sunlight. "No one in my family is either, Ashido." Kiyomi pointed out. Despite that, she still didn't know what she wanted. She hated violence, and being a ninja meant it was going to be a part of her life if she chose that path. She didn't even like the classes at school that taught about it.

Hideki looked down at the ground for a moment before sighing. "I… I wanted to become a ninja." He admitted. "My parents are ninja so I thought… maybe I could be like them one day… But now I'm not sure. I don't want you leave you two behind."

Kiyomi smiled slightly. "Even if we chose not to be ninja, doesn't mean you have to do the same, Hideki."

"She's right four eyes." Ashido was looking at the two now. "I mean- I don't wanna be ninja, but I'm not gonna stop you if that's what you want." He stuck his hands in his pockets. "I think that's enough ninja talk for now." He rubbed his belly. "It's made me hungry."

Kiyomi and Hideki laughed.

* * *

 ** _So... how was it? Too short? Too long? Horribly written? Was it ok? I have millions of questions I want to ask, but I'll just have to wait and see hm?_**

 ** _So what will become of the three's decisions with their schooling and training? What do you guys think?_**


End file.
